Page 13 - THE DO-IT-YOURSELF LOBOTOMY Open Your Mind to Greater Creative Thinking

4 INTRODUCTION

Creative thinking is no longer the domain of a chosen few or some-
thing companies do only at their annual planning meetings or in brain-
storming sessions. Creative thinking is something that high-functioning
people at leading companies do constantly, because there is always an
opportunity for improvement. Today, with the pace of change con-
stantly increasing in business, there is always a need to maintain a com-
petitive advantage. Companies and individuals both need to stay on top
of their game.
So where do creative ideas come from? Well... people. The fresh-
est, biggest ideas come from leaders in your own industry and other
industries. Ideas also come from the customers and users of your goods
or services. And if your company is a player to any degree and you’re
doing your job, creative ideas come from you. (If you’re a manager
doing your job, they also come from your people.)
Now is the time to ask yourself, “What am I doing to enable myself
and/or my people to generate the vital business-building ideas that fuel
my company’s, my clients’, and our customers’ success?”
Take a second to let that question sink in.
Now answer honestly, “What are you doing, now, to become a bet-
ter idea generator?”

If you’re not making a concerted effort to value, master, and inspire
creative thinking and improve your skill set in this area, you may
find yourself losing out to the competition.

If you don’t actively grease the skids of innovation and better han-
dle the rapidity and magnitude of change today, you could be cheating
yourself and your employer out of an incredible resource. You could be
holding back your company and your career.
Fresh ideas are the lubrication for growth and success in business.
Whether it’s creative marketing ideas, breakthrough advertising ideas,
customer service ideas, or fresh thinking in a thousand other areas, the
most successful people in business are making themselves active play-
ers in this high-stakes, high-value game.
You’re reading this book because you want to improve yourself in
this area. I can help you. As a professional creative thinking coach I
work with thousands of people in dozens of industry segments annu-
ally to help them improve their understanding and skills in this critical